The present invention relates to systems for heating the interior of a vehicle. In particular, the present invention is an improvement to heating systems in certain vehicles such as the 1974-78 Ford Pinto and Mustang II automobiles equipped with 2300 cc engines.
The 1974-78 Ford Pinto and Ford Mustang automobiles equipped with the 2300 cc engines (and the comparable Mercury automobiles) have exhibited chronic poor heating performance, particularly when operated in cold climates. During cold weather conditions, the heaters of these automobiles are slow to provide heat to the passenger compartment and often provide inadequate heat even after the car has been running for an extended period of time.
The coolant flow in these vehicles is generally as follows: The coolant is picked up at about mid-engine head and then is routed through an aluminum intake manifold. The coolant passes out of the aluminum intake manifold through an outlet and is then routed through the automatic choke and finally by metal tubing and rubber hose to the heater core. The remaining heat in the coolant is then dissipated, and the coolant is returned to the engine water pump by way of metal tubing and rubber hose. As a result of this coolant circulation arrangement, the coolant which is supplied to the heater core already has had a substantial amount of heat dissipated from it. The output of the heater is, of course, limited by the amount of heat which can be extracted from the coolant.